a bleeding purple utah jazz blog

Bits from Practice and Leftovers

Tyrone Corbin**On flopping: “I hate to put it on a foreign guy, though, but a lot of it started when we started getting more international players in there,” Corbin said. “I guess it was how they played the game over there.” (DN)

Mo Williams**On the game-winner against the Spurs: I wanted to get the last shot…I just wanted to be patient, wanted to take my time, wanted to get to my spot, wanted to get into a rhythm no matter where it was on the floor. It didn’t matter whether it was a two or a three. At that point, you just need to get a good shot up…

When me and Ty came out of the [final] huddle, I said, “I’m not going to leave any time.” And that kinda, you know, limited my options offensively…So I just wanted to make sure I got the last shot.

Jeff Hornacek**On Enes Kanter: I actually got a ride home from him the other night after the Lakers game, and just started talking about a few things. Strategy-wise, you know, what old veteran guys learn, and he was just sucking it all in, going, “Oh, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.” And now, I don’t know if he’s, you know, losing it in translation, but I think he does, he does understand it, and he’s willing to learn and try to pick up the little things that’ll help him out…

I think him losing that weight really turned him into a different player…once he takes the first couple of steps, he might be faster than just about everybody on the team getting down the court, with the long strides he has.

Shirtless Enes on the treadmill, via @DJJazzyJody

**Breaking down Gordon Hayward’s game: It seems like every night now, talking with Gordon, “Gordon, one of these games, it’s just gonna, it’s all gonna fall together.”…To me, he’s very close to really being a, a guy that can give you that 15-20 points every single night. You know, he’s about there now…

He still has to be consistent with that shot. We’ve been working on a few things in terms of his arc when guys run at him. I feel he’s got maybe a tendency to arc it a little bit out of normal, just to get over that guy, and we try to tell him, sometimes guys don’t realize how big and long they are and what effect another guy would have on him.*

We say, “Gordon, you’re 6’8″, 6’9″. You have long arms. You shoot it up high. Some guy running at you is not gonna block it…Just shoot your normal arc. You don’t have to shoot it any higher.”

That, and probably strength, finishing at the basket, he takes it extremely hard to the basket, which is great. He’s gotta be a little stronger with the ball, and finish on those plays. And once he finishes, I think he’ll get that reputation from the referees that, “Hey, if he does end up missing, he had to have gotten fouled.”

* UDQM.

**UDQM, to Gordon Monson: You know where to find me, Gordon. I’m down there all the time.

Gordon Hayward**On Christmas shopping: Oh man, I haven’t gotten anything for my girlfriend…I think I like to give from the heart, you know, stuff that you make.

**Did the last play of the Spurs game unfold the way it was drawn up? For the most part, that was kinda, you know, the play that was drawn up. It was kinda just to get [Mo Williams] the ball and let him make a play.

**On chasedown blocks: That’s probably my favorite play.

**On working with Horny: Jeff and I work a lot on, you know, in practice and on off-days with places I can get my shot and, you know, where I can get it. I think one of the things I’m still figuring out in just part of being a young player in this league, is when to take your shot…

It’s definitely gotten a lot better since rookie year, and for the most part I usually seem to make the right choice, but there still are times where I could be more aggressive, and you know, make a tough move, and step up and shoot a shot.